Curing rubbery substances with meta-dinitroso aromatic compounds



Patented Nov. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES ATE T OFFICE f CURING RUBBERY SUBSTANCES, WITH META-DINITROSO AROMATIC CQMPOUNDS John Rehner, Jr., Westfield, N. J., and Paul J.

Flory, Ithaca,N. Y., assignors to Standard Oil Development Company, a corporation of Delaware This invention relates to curable rubber-like substances, relates particularly to means and methods for curing elastomers or rubber-like substances generally, including such elastomers as the interpolymers of isobutylene and a poly- 5 unsaturated elastic polymerby the combination olefin, and relates especially to the curing of therewith of ameta dinitroso aromatic compound low temperature copolymers by reaction with at temperatures ranging from room temperature meta-dinitroso aromatic compounds. up to approximately 400 F., to develop therein This application is a continuation-in-part of an elastic limit, and destroy the original plasapplication Serial No. 507,188 filed October 21, ma The meta-dinitroso aromatic com- 1943, now abandoned. 5 pounds are those in which there is, as basic It has been found possible to produce an instructure, a benzene ring having two-N= O terpolymer of an iso'olefin such as isobutylene groups in the meta position relationship and it with a'polyolefin such as butadiene at temperadoes not appear that the curing power is detures ranging from '40 C. to '165 0., preferstroyed by any substituents which do not deably within the temperature range between -77 stroy this configuration. Unfortunately, how- 3 and 103 3,, by the application thereto of ever, a considerable numberof compounds are Friedel-Crafts catalysts, preferably in solution called meta-dinitroso compounds which are not in a low freezing,'non-complex forming solvent 50 in feet, Since the high reactivity t to yield solid polymers of high molecular weight 2 N=O group results in the unexpected destrucwhich are reactive with sulfur in a curing retion of this essential confi r ti t0 Predllee action which is in someways analogous to the insteadv a wide range of other aromatic comvulcanization of rubb r, pounds which are not in fact dinitroso com- It is now found that this low temperature p n v though h tarting material from copolymer, and, the elastomers or rubbery sub-' Which y W made Should have y d a stances generally, both natural and syntheti meta-dinitroso compound with substituents. It which are conveniently defined as those solid is found, however, t a in g l, hydrocarbon organic substances which are characterized by Substituehts d fy the capability of curing only a substantial" chemical unsaturation sufficient to Slightly, u y n a favorable d a combine with sulfur in a curing reaction and that the esters, h h the IlitIOSO O ywhen cured, have an elongation under tension, gen also do not interferewith e Curing reacshort of the breaking'point, ranging from 200 tion. With other substituents there appears to to 1200%, a forcibleretraction upon release of he no Way to predict W et r the resulting comt i t approximately original size a d shape pounds will or will not remain asmeta-dinitroso and a tensile strength at break ranging between QOmPOHIIdS, nd n l t e ere fact that 500 pounds per square inch'and 5000 pounds per a proximate analysis OWS' t P p p square inch, are reactive in a curing process i 0f hitregeh y e e c., for a substituted with the meta-dinitroso aromatic compounds diIIIltIOSO Compound, does not y a y means, generally, sure the existence of such a structure. Other 0b- The rubbery substances or elastomers as so 40 jeets and de f t e invention will be app rent defined, which cure readily with the metafrom the f llowing descrip i n.- i dinitroso aromatic compounds include the low A Suitable p y w material for h P etemperature interpolymers of isobutylene with l f the Present invention iSthe w tempera, a polyolefin havin from 4 to 14 carbon atoms ture interpolymer f n i l n Wi h a p lyper molecule; and include natural rubber, polyelefin- F this p r, l bu y e s the P butadiene, the interpolymer of butadiene with ferred major ponent but oth isoolefins acrylonitrile, the interpolymer of butadiene with such e 2"methyl butene-l; y p styrene, polychloroprene and the like. These 0 t y he e-L o t e y e used. elastomers, when cured with 'the'meta-dinitroso The isoolefin is mixed with a minor proportion compounds, show adequate tensile strengths and of a polyolefin such as butadieneor i 'd -b l No Drawing. Application May 6,

Serial No. 91,866

11 Claims. (01. zeohsas) t f h good values for other physical properties, and

at the same time show an outstandingly high speed of curing. l

Thus the present invention cures a chemically piperylene or dimethyl butadiene or dimethallyl or myrcene or such compounds as Z-methyl, 3- nonyl butadiene 1-3, or 2-ethyl, 4-octyl pentadiene 1-4; substantially any of the polyolefins having from 4 to 14 carbon atoms per molecule being usable. The olefinic mixture is cooled to a temperature within the range from 20 C. to -103 C., or even as low as 165 C), by the use in a refrigerating jacket around the reactor or by admixture with the polymerizable olefins of such refrigerants as liquid propane, solid carbon dioxide, liquid ethane, liquid ethylene or even liquid methane.

The polymerization is caused to occur by the use of a Friedel-Crafts type catalyst such as aluminum chloride in solution in a low freezing, non-complex-forming solvent. While aluminum chloride is the preferred catalyst, substantially any of the Friedel-Crafts catalysts disclosed by N. O. Calloway in his article on The Friedel- Crafts Synthesis printed in the issue of Chemical Reviews published for the American Chemical Society at Baltimore in 1935, in volume XVII, No. 3, the article beginning on page 327, the list being particularly well shown on page 375, may be used. Most of these catalysts are preferably used in solution in a low-freezing, non-complex forming solvent. To be low freezing, it is only necessary that the solvent have a freezing point below that of water. (It is not necessary that the freezing point of the solvent be below the polymerization temperature, since the solution of catalyst dissolves readily in the cold polymerization mixture before it has a chance to congeal and separate out in the solid form.) To be non-complex forming, it is merely necessary that the solvent shall not form a stable compound with the solvent, from which a substantially higher temperature than the boiling point of the solvent is required to drive off the solvent, and in general, that instillation to or distillation from the solute shall not result in a temperature change of more than a very small number of degrees.

' The catalyst solution is conveniently applied to the cold mixed olefinic material in the form of a spray delivered onto the surface of the rapidly stirred olefinic mixture. Alternatively, th catalyst solution may be delivered as a jet into a zone of high turbulence in the olefinic material in any convenient way or it may be delivered in any convenient manner which obtains a rapid dispersion of the catalyst solution into the cold olefinic mixture. The polymerization proceeds rapidly to yield a solid polymer having a relatively very high molecular weight.

This molecular weight is conveniently determined by a measurement of the intrinsic viscosity of the polymer in solution, preferably in diisobutylene at 20 C. as outlined by E. O. Kramer in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, volume 30, page 1200, (1938). The preferred form of polymer has an intrinsic viscosity preferably within the range between 0.6 and about 5. This viscosity, as shown by the work of Paul J. Flory reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, volume 65, page 372 (1943) corresponds to an actual molecular weight between 120,000 and 3,000,000 (this being equivalent to the Staudinger molecular weight number, or molecular weight by the Staudinger Method of approximately 20,000 to 150,000). The preferred range of intrinsic viscosities lies between about 1 and 2.5, corresponding to actual molecular weights of 400,000 to 1,000,000; and

4 corresponding to Staudinger numbers between 31,000 and 78,000.

The relationship between the intrinsic viscosity of a polymer in solution in diisobutylene at 20 C., the Staudinger number and the viscosity average molecular weight is well shown in the followin table:

Intrinsic Viscosity Viscosity in Staudinger Average Diisobutylene Number Molecular at 20 0. Weight 40 12. 5 63 60 18. 7 120 24. 9 185 l. 00 31. 2 264 1. 25 39. 0 373 1. 50 46. 8 495 1. 75 54. 7 630 2.00 62. 5 775 z. 5 78. 1 1, 3.0 93. 7 1, 460 3. 5 109 l, 860 4. 0 2, 300 5. 0 156 3, 250

The intrinsic viscosity is given by the equation (1m T)/c where 1,11 is the relative viscosity (ratio of viscosity of solution to that of the solvent) of a dilute solution of the polymer in diisobutylene at 20 C., and c is the concentration of polymer in gms. per 100 cc. The concentration should be such that m does not exceed about 1.4. (See E. O. Kraemer, Ind. Eng. Chem. 30, 1200 (1938) for the definition of the term intrinsic viscosity designated by (1 Staudinger numbers, formerly referred to as molecular weights, are obtained by multiplying (7;) by about 312x10 A preferred form of the invention utilizes for the reaction a polymer having an iodine number (by the Wijs method) of from 0.5 to about 10 (which is the material sold over the past several years through the Rubber Reserve Corporation, under the trade-name of Butyl), as the low temperature copolymer of isobutylene with isoprene, or other multiolefin as shown by Thomas and Sparks Patent Numbers 2,356,127-8, according to which disclosure polymers up to an iodine number of approximately 50 are readily prepared). The invention is equally applicable to the higher unsaturation polymers having iodine numbers from 50 or 60, up to about or 175, as shown in Serial No. 788,640, filed by Nelson and Welch on November 28, 1947, both of which are herewith made parts of this application.

The polymer is brought up to room temperature from the polymerization mixture in any convenient manner, although the preferred procedure is to dump the reaction mixture into warm water or warm alkaline solution or warm alcohol or the like to destroy the catalyst activity and start the purification of the polymer. The polymer is then desirably washed on the open roll mill with clear water to obtain a further purification and it may, if desired, be purified'in many other ways.

The preferred method of preparing the polymer is by a continuous process in which streams of the olefins and a diluent are delivered to a refrigerant jacketed reactor with a separate stream of catalyst delivered to the same reactor, and an overflow of slurry of polymer is diluent and unreacted monomers discharged from the top of the reactor. This discharged slurry is preferably conducted into a tank of warm water from which the diluent, unreacted monomers and catalyst solvent. are volatilized for separation, purification and re-use, and a flowable slurry of polymer in water is withdrawn and conducted to a strainer or other convenient separator to remove as much water as possible. The resulting cake of polymer crumb is then dried, preferably in a tunnel drier, passed through an extruder, and then milled briefly on the double roll mill to bring it into convenient sheet form for packaging and subsequent processing.

As pointed out above, other suitable raw materials for the practice of the present invention are found in the polymer of butadiene prepared either in emulsion with a peroxide catalyst, or in mass form with metallic sodium; or in the several interpolymers of butadiene such as the interpolymer of butadiene with styrene or of isoprene with styrene or of piperylene with styrene or of butadiene with acrylonitrile prepared in emulsion under pressure at temperatures ranging from 20 to 70 C. Likewise the emulsion interpolymer of chloroprene is suitable for curing according to the present invention. Likewise, natural rubber in all of its forms and equivalents is suitable for the raw material of the present invention. These materials show iodine numbers (by the Wijs method) of from about 200 or a little below to 175, up to about 340, the lower numbers being characteristic of the copolymers of butadiene with styrene and acrylonitrile, the higher numbers being those characteristic of natural rubber.

In utilizing the polymer, it is desirably coinpounded with a wide range of substances including zinc oxide, stearic acid, carbon black and various other pigments, fillers and protective and improving agents.

For the purpose of the present invention, the polymer is compounded with from 0.1% to 6% of a curing agent in the form of a meta-dinitroso aromatic compound.

The meta-dinitroso compound is the second element of the invention. Meta-dinitroso benzene itself is the preferred curing agent, but any compound having the structural formula O=N- R3 in which R1, R2, R3, and R4, may be hydrogen or any desired hydrocarbon substituent, including a methyl substituent, an ethyl substituent, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, nonyl, and the like, up to at least 12 carbon atoms. R1 and R2, as well as R3 and R4 may also be the points of attachment for another aromatic substituent to produce a metadinitroso naphthalene derivative. Also, the substituent at R1, R2, R3, or R4 may be a phenyl group. In addition, any of the esters formed with an oxygen from the nitroso group may also be used. Extensive tests of these compounds show that the compounds as so described, are all operative and all have special properties which are of particular value under special circumstances. Many of the compounds having still other substituents are useful and have been shown to be useful. Others which are said to be dini-. troso compounds are not in fact such, but have been modified :by side reactions into other structures which are withoutcuring effect. It may be noted that meta-dinitrosc compounds of this type are very highly reactive and a great many secondary and side reactions are possible, some of which occur merely on stand- EXAMPLE 1 A polymer was prepared as above described consisting of 855 parts of isobutylene with parts of isoprene (by weight) to yield a polymer having an intrinsic viscosity of approximately 1.3, corresponding to a viscosity average molecular weight of about 400,000 (a Staudinger number or molecular weight of about 42,000), and

an iodine number of about 2.5. This material,

was then mixed on a cold mill according to the following recipe:

Parts Polymer 10 Stearic acid 5 Zinc oxide 5 Carbon black (channel black) 60 This mixture was separated into three portions and the three portions successively compounded on the mill with 0.2 part of meta-dinitroso benzene per 100 parts of polymer, 0.5 part of metadinitroso benzene per 100 parts of polymer, and 1 part of meta-dinitroso benzene per 100 parts of polymer (by weight). Each portion was then divided in half and the respective portions cured and tested, as shown in Table I. Y

g Cure minitroso Designation benzene per i Percent 100 parts 21 161 S./l1'l Elong.

Butyl 15 900 A 2 V 250 25 B 5 e25 400 O so 570 425 These results demonstrate the rapidity of cure;

EXAIWPLE 2 A low temperature polymer was prepared as above described utilizing approximately 9'7 parts of isobutylene with three parts of isoprene at a temperature of about -98 C., in the presence of approximately 8 volumes of methyl chloride as diluent with approximately 0.05 volume of a 0.6% solution of aluminum chloride in methyl chloride per volume of mixed isobutylene and isoprene to produce a copolymer having a Standinger molecular weight number of approximately 45,000 and an iodine number of approximately 2.5. This material was washed, dried and milled until it banded nicely and was then compounded according to the following recipe:

Parts Polymer 100 Stearic acid 5 Zinc oxide Q. 5 Carbon black (channel-black) 6-0 m-Dinitroso benzene 2 The material was then cured for fifteen minutes at 240 F. andfound to show a tensile strength at break of approximately 1700 -lbs., per

EXAIVIPLE 3 A similar compound to that in Example 2 was prepared, utilizing a dinitroso cymene (para-isopropyl meta-dim'troso benzene). This material was cured as before and found to show a somewhat slower curing rate and a similar tensile strength elongation and modulus.

The dinitroso compounds form a homologous series beginning with the simple meta-dinitroso benzene and continuing through a substantial series characterized by the substitution of aliphatic radicals for the hydrogen present in the benzene ring of "the simple meta-dinitroso compound. Some of these compounds are reasonably easy to prepare, and some are more difficult to prepare; some, as far as a literature search will show, have never been prepared. However, tests of those which are available indicate that there is no significant change in curing power from the addition of aliphatic substituents, without regard to the size, that is, number of carbon atoms per substituent, nor number of substituents; that is whether one, two, three or four hydrogens are replaced in the benzene ring by substituents. The reactions with compounds containing successively larger substituents indicate however a reduction in reaction energy with increasing substituent size; thereby reducing the tendency towards scorchiness on the mill. In some instances the scorchinness is sharply reduced without significant change in speed of curing reaction. in other instances, both scorchiness and curing speed at curing temperature are reduced. These facts make it possible for the compounder to tailor his recipe according to the needs of the particular rubber structure being prepared.

The number of meta-dinitroso compounds known, which contain either aromatic or olefinic substituents is very small and the methods of preparation are relatively unsatisfactory. Nevertheless, tests of such compounds as are available indicate that the presence of aromatic and olefinic substituents likewise have similar effects on scorchiness and curing rate. The presence of other substituents containing the halogens, likewise appears to be without significant eifect upon the curing reaction. The presence in substituents of oxygen and nitrogen usually results in a reorganization of the molecular structure to such an extent as to destroy the actual meta-dinitroso configuration, and there is available at the present time insufiicient knowledge to predict whether a given chemical procedure will yield a metadinitroso compound containing oxygen or nitrogen or the like, or whether the structure will be so unstable as not to be maintained. When the meta-dinitroso structure is maintained, the compounds are in general, more or less effective curing agents, but the dinitroso structure usually is not maintained and only a trial will show whether a compound containing oxygen or other analogous substituents does, in fact, retain its dinitroso structure, so as to be a curing agent.

It may be noted that the oxygen atoms in the structural formula previously given readily'esterify with organic acids, such as formic, acetic, oxalic, propionic, and the like, up to at least 18 carbon atoms, and it is not necessary that the acid be saturated, since it may equally well be an unsaturated acid. The aromatic acids are equally useful as esterifying agents. It is found that the esters, while somewhat expensive to prepare, show a marked reduction in scorchiness on the mill without any significant reduction in ac tivity at normal curing temperatures.

EXAMPLE 4 Parts Butadiene acrylonitrile polymer 190 Stearic acid 5 Carbon black (channel black) 50 Zinc oxide 5 Meta-dinitroso benzene l The resulting compound was divided into samples which were cured as test specimens for 15 and 30 minutes at 240 F. The inspection records are shown in the following Table I:

Table I Tensile Strength, lbs/sq. in.

Percent Time of Cure Min.

Elongation These results show the excellent quality of the resulting cured polymer and the high speed of ourmg.

EXAIVIPLE 5 An interpolymer of butadiene and styrene was prepared in substantially the same manner as the polymer in Example 6. This polymer was then compounded on the cold mill according to the following recipe:

7 Parts Butadiene styrene polymer Stearic acid 5 Carbon black (channel black) 50 Zinc oxide 5 Meta-dinitroso benzene; 1

A sample of this material was cured for 15 minutes at 240 and was found to give a tensile strength of 1650 pounds per square inch with an elongation at break of 375%.

EXANIPLE 6 A sample of chloroprene was polymerized in emulsion in substantially the same manner as Example 4, and compounded on the cold mill according to the following recipe:

Parts Pclychloroprene Stearic acid n 5 Carbon black (channel black) 50 Zinc oxide 5 Meta-dinitroso benzene 1 Samples of this compound were cured for 15 and 30 minutes at 240 F. to yield inspection records as shown in Table II.

A sample of natural rubber (smoked sheet) was compounded according to the following recipe:

- 4 Parts Rubber 100 Stearic acid 5 Carbon black (channel black) 50 Zinc oxide 5 Meta-dinitroso benzene 1 Samples of this compound were cured for 15 and 30 minutes at 240 F. and tested to yield the inspection results shown in Table III.

. Table III Tensile Percent Time of Cure, min. lgtsrfsi ilg'tilk' Elongation These results all show the rapid and effective cure of these rubbery substances by meta-dinitroso benzene and its homologues. It may be noted that there is a substantial variation in tensile strength obtainable with the several rubbers. This is in part due to difiering requirements in the way of time and temperature of curing; and, where maximum tensile strength is desired, it may be obtained by adjustment of times, temperatures, and other curing aids.

The meta-dinitroso benzene used in the above examples was prepared by the method of Alway and Gortner, Ber. 38, 1899 (1905). In this procedure meta-dinitro benzene was reduced with zinc and hydrochloric acid to m-phenylene dihydroxylamine. This material was then oxidized with ferric chloride to meta-dinitroso benzene, as shown in the following series of reactions:

It may be noted that the yields by this procedure are low, and the material is preferably prepared by other more efficient methods.

As is above pointed out, other meta-dinitroso alkyl compounds are similarly useable, including homologues of meta-dinitroso benzene in which one or more of the nuclear hydrogens has been replaced by an alkyl or aryl group: such compounds as meta-dinitroso toluene being useful in common with meta-dinitroso xylene and the like. Other aromatic compounds such as 1,3-dinitroso naphthalene are similarly usable and also alkyl or'aryl substituted meta-dinitroso naphthalenes. Likewise, the 1,3 or 2,4-dinitroso anthracene. is similarly useful along with its alkyl and aryl substituent derivatives.

The above examples show the curing oi a wide range of rubber-like substances and the curing agent is applicable to a wide variety of rubbers or rubber-like substances. It is desirable. that there be an abundance of unsaturation present in the polymer molecules to permit of the ready combination of the dinitroso compound withthe polymer molecules to establish the desired cross linkage. This is not,'however, necessary; even materials deficient in unsaturation show substane tial and valuable curing 'efiects. In the above examples approximately one part of the dinitroso compound was usedfor the curing. This amount may, however, vary between 0.2 part per of polymer and 4 or 5 parts per 100 of'polymer, de pending upon the speed of cure desired, depending upon the character of the cure desired, and depending upon the physical and chemical nature of the substance to be cured.

Thus the composition of matter 'of the present invention consists of a rubber substance in combination with a meta-dinitroso aromatic compound as curing agent.

While there are above disclosed but a limited number of embodiments of the'productand process of the present invention, it ispossible to provide-still other embodiments without departing from the inventive concept herein disclosed and it is, therefore, desired that only such limitations be imposed upon the appended claims as are stated therein or required by the prior art.-

The invention claimed is:- 1

'1. A' curing process for the destruction of cold flow and establishment of definite tensile strengths in vulcanizable rubbery elastomers characterized by iodine numbers within the range between 0.5 and 340, the molecules of which have a high molecular weight hydrocarbon chain structure, comprising the steps of mixing into said elastomer from 0.5 part to 5 parts (per hundred of elastomer) of a meta-dinitroso compound having the structural formula in which R1, R2, R3, and R4 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and aliphatic, aromatic and olefinic. hydrocarbon substituents.

2. In the processing of a copolymer of a major proportion of isobutylene with a minor proportion of a multiolefin having from 4 to 14, inclusive, carbon atoms per molecule, said copolymer having an iodine number of 0.5 to 50 and an intrinsic viscosity of 0.6 to 5.0, the steps in combination of mixing into the low temperature polymer of from 0.5 part to 5 parts (per hundred of polymer) of a meta-dinitroso compound having the formula 3. In the processing of a copolymer of a major proportion of Visobutylene with a minor proportion of a multiolefin having from 4 to 14, inclusive, carbon atoms per molecule, said copolymer having an iodine number of 0.5 to 50 and an intrinsic viscosity of 0.6 to 5.0, the steps in combination of mixing into the low temperature polymer of from 0.5 parts to 5 parts (per hundred of polymer) of meta-dinitrosobenzene.

4. A curing process for the destruction of cold flow and establishment of definite tensile strengths in vulcanizable synthetic rubber elastomers characterized by iodine numbers within the range between 0.5 and 340, selected from the group consisting of interpolymers of isobutylene with a polyolefin having from 4 to 14 carbon atoms per molecule, polybutadiene, interpolymer of butadiene with acrylonitrile, interpolymer of butadiene with styrene, and polychloroprene, comprising the steps of mixing into said elastomer from 0.5 part to 5 parts (per 100 parts of elastomer) of a dinitroso compound selected from the class consisting of meta-dinitroso compounds having the structural formula in which R1, R2, R3 and R4 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and aliphatic, aromatic, and olefinic hydrocarbon substituents, and compounds of that same structural type in which at least one of the oxygen atoms is esterified with an organic acid, and thereafter curing the mixture at a temperature within the range between room temperature and 400 F.

5. Process according to claim 4 in which the curing agent is meta-dinitrosobenzene.

6. Process according to claim 4 in which the curing agent is meta-dinitrosocymene.

'7. Process according to claim 4 in which the curing agent is a meta-dinitrosobenzene homolog having a hydrocarbon substituent having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms.

8. Process according to claim 4 in which the curing agent is a meta-dinitrosobenzene homolog having a hydrocarbon aliphatic substituent having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms.

9. The process of curing a low unsaturation synthetic rubber consisting of an isobutyleneisoprene copolymer having an iodine number of 0.5 to and having an intrinsic viscosity of 0.6 to 5.0, which comprises mixing with said copolymer 0.5 to 5 parts by Weight (per parts of copolymer) of meta-dinitrosobenzene, and curing the mixture at a temperature between room temperature and 400 F.

10. Process according to claim 9 in which the copolymer has an iodine number of 0.5 to 10 and an intrinsic viscosity of 1 to 2.5.

11. The process of curing a synthetic rubber consisting of a copolymer of 74% by Weight of butadiene and 26% by weight of acrylonitrile, which comprises mixing with said copolymer 0.5 to 5 parts by weight (per 100 parts of copolymer) of meta-dinitrosobenzene, and curing the mixture at a temperature between room temperature and 400 F.

JOHN REHNER, JR. PAUL J. FLORY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,984,417 Mark et a1. Dec. 18, 1934 2,445,794 Marsden July 27 1948 

1. A CURING PROCESS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF COLD FLOW AND ESTABLISHMENT OF DEFINITE TENSILE STRENGTHS IN VULCANIZABLE RUBBERY ELASTOMERS CHARACTERIZED BY IODINE NUMBERS WITHIN THE RANGE BETWEEN 0.5 AND 340, THE MOLECULES OF WHICH HAVE A HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT HYDROCARBON CHAIN STRUCTURE, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF MIXING INTO SAID ELASTOMER FROM 0.5 PART TO 5 PARTS (PER HUNDRED OF ELASTOMER) OF A META-DINITROSO COMPOUND HAVING THE STRUCTURAL FORMULA 